166 



HOCKINGS' GARDEN MANUAL. 



most of the failures in the attempts to cultivate this 

 valuable plant, it is thought by many to be unworthy 

 of their attention ; but the Author fearlessly asserts 

 that, under favorable circumstances, it yields a larger 

 return per acre, and for a longer period, than any other 

 fodder-plant in cultivation. 



The land should be prepared during summer by 

 thorough exposure to the sun in high ridges, taking 

 care to cross-plough and harrow before the weeds begin 

 to seed. The ]and being prepared by deep ploughing 

 and minute pulverization, the seed may be sown broad- 

 cast, from February to J uly, at the rate of twenty-five 

 pounds per acre, and may be covered about an inch 

 deep by the use of a light harrow. Some growers 

 prefer a spring sowing (as it makes little progress dur- 

 ing the winter), and consider July the most favorable 

 period for sowing. Others recommend a light crop of 

 oats to nurse the young plants. 



If, when sown by itself, weeds should come up 

 thickly, and threaten to choke the crop (which is very 

 tender the first six months, until the tap root has time 

 to get hold of the soil), mow the field carefully before 

 the weeds seed, and the most of them, being annuals, 

 will then perish. Before a succession can have time 

 to rise up and do any damage, the lucerne will have 

 gained sufficient strength to make head against them. 



Lucerne may be transplanted to fill up blanks. 



A large quantity of forest land would return good 

 crops of lucerne by the aid of manure, and, not being 

 so liable to injury by floods, might, in the long run, pay 

 better than the richer flats. A good double ploughing 

 and cross-ploughing, following with a second plough in 

 the bottom of the furrow at the first ploughing, and 

 turning in sixty or eighty loads of manure to the acre 

 with the second ploughing, would be a fair preparation 

 of the land ; and, if time would allow a crop of maize 

 to be taken from the land, the additional cultivation 

 would improve its texture. 



